Shows
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 758: Non-Roving RoversStreamed live on May 26, 2025. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay Some of our favorite robots are rovers currently roving around the surface of the Moon & Mars. But there’s some pretty tricky terrain out there and engineers are scheming up clever ways to explore other worlds inspired by life that crawls, slithers, hops and flies. As we explore more surfaces and more complex surfaces throughout the solar system, mission teams are designing robot explorers that don't sit still and also don't rove. In this episode, we're going to take a look at th...2025-06-0259 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 757: CubeSatsStreamed live on May 19, 2025. Computers are getting smaller, faster and more capable, which has enabled an entirely mew class of satellites: CubeSats. A mission small enough that you can hold it in your hands, and yet powerful enough to even travel to other planets and send messages home. Every year, our electronics seem to get smaller and more powerful, with today's smart watches being more fully featured than the computers Pamela and Fraser had as little kids. These tiny processors, sensors, and transmitters are allowing tiny satellites with powerful functionality, and today we ta...2025-05-261h 03
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 756: SphereXStreamed live on May 12, 2025. NASA’s newly launched SphereX mission is up & operational and has completed its initial checkout and “first light”. Everything looks good! And now it’s starting its science operations. And that’s good enough for Pamela! And THAT means we can talk about it. So let’s do that! There's a new space telescope in town (or at least in LEO). Let's check out what it's looking at and looking to do. SUPPORTED BY YOU This Episode is made possible thanks to our Patrons on Patreon. Join at the Galaxy...2025-05-191h 00
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 755: Intermediate Mass Black HolesStreamed live on May 5, 2025. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay. There are stellar-mass and supermassive black holes. But very little evidence of anything in between. Where are all the intermediate-mass black holes that should be the building blocks of the biggest ones? Actually, the science has been accelerating rapidly and we now know of hundreds of them. The question marks in our understanding are slowly getting replaced with data. Let's review what we now know about intermediate mass black holes and their origins. SUPPORTED BY YOU! Th...2025-05-1256 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 754: K2-18bStreamed live on Apr 28, 2025. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay You’ve heard the news! Astronomers are reporting the discovery of biosignatures at K2-18b. Is this proof of life or should we all be more skeptical? It's in the news and people are claiming aliens... but is it aliens? Let's see what the data actually says. SUPPORTED BY YOU This Episode is made possible thanks to our Patrons on Patreon. Join at the Galaxy Group level or higher to be listed in our YouTube vide...2025-05-0558 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 753: Why is the Moon's South Pole So Interesting?Streamed live on Apr 21, 2025. I’m sure you’ve heard that all eyes are on the Moon’s southern pole. This is where various NASA and Chinese missions are targeting. What makes this region so special and what are the special challenges that explorers will face. From TV shows to real-world missions, it seems like everyone just wants to explore the Moon's South Pole. But why? Learn here! SUPPORTED BY YOU This Episode is made possible thanks to our Patrons on Patreon. Join at the Galaxy Group level or higher to be liste...2025-04-281h 00
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 752: Should We Go to the Moon or Mars Next?Streamed live on Apr 16, 2025. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay There is an ongoing debate on where NASA should go next with humans: to the Moon or Mars. (Or maybe an asteroid or one of Mars’ moons). We are on the verge of sending humans back to the Moon. At the same time others would prefer we focus our exploration on Mars. It’s a tough choice because there are costs and benefits to both. Let’s try to give this conversation some nuance. Let's discuss the reasons for each of these worlds...2025-04-211h 05
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 751: Vacuum EnergyStreamed live on Apr 7, 2025. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay. Even empty space isn’t empty. It’s filled with the quantum fluctuations of spacetime itself. Which can be measured with famous experiments like the Casimir Effect. There is a surprising amount of energy in space itself, which has led to some interesting theories about how the future of the Universe might evolve. You can't get something from nothing but sometimes that nothing is something you can get something from. SUPPORTED BY YOU This Episode is made...2025-04-141h 00
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 750: Supernova Early Warning SystemStreamed live on Mar 31, 2025. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay When enormous stars detonate as supernovae they release a burst of neutrinos that can be the first sign of a coming explosion. Now, astronomers have built a network to watch for that flash of neutrinos, and help direct their telescopes for when the sky show begins. Supernovae explosions occur in stages, with neutrinos being emitted hours before photons. If we can accurately detect those neutrinos, we might just be able to get on target before the light show even starts.... Maybe. 2025-04-071h 01
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 749: Dark Energy Changing Over TimeStreamed live on Mar 24, 2025. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay The Hubble Tension is a vexing problem, with astronomers measuring the expansion of the Universe at different points in its history and getting different results. Errors have mostly been ruled out, which leaves the potential for new physics. Has the strength of dark energy been changing over time? We thought Dark Energy was constant with time, but new results from DESI say maybe not, and honestly, if it wasn't constant the Hubble Tension would be a whole lot easier to solve. 2025-03-3156 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 748: Fast Radio BurstsStreamed live on Mar 17, 2025. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay. For the briefest of moments, some dead stars can flash brighter than their entire galaxy (in Radio light) and then live to do it again and again. It’s time for an update on fast radio bursts, a phenomenon we’ve only known about for a few decades. In this time astronomers have learned a tremendous amount them. They’re not solved, but we’re getting closer! SUPPORTED BY YOU This Episode is made possible thanks to our Pa...2025-03-2454 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 747: Rogue PlanetsStreamed live on Mar 10, 2025. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay Most planets orbit stars. That’s the rule, right? Well, maybe not. In fact the vast majority of planets could be floating freely through the Milky Way. Today we’re gonna talk about rogue planets. Sometimes planets just go rogue. Let's learn about planets living free from stars. 2025-03-171h 05
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 746: Dust StormsStreamed live Feb 24, 2025. We have dust storms on Earth and of course the famous dust storms on Mars. There are even dust storms on Titan. What causes these storms and how do they work differently on the worlds in the solar system. But what about the exoplanets? The bane of solar panels, humans, and robots, dust storms have a way of picking up steam (or at least dust) all over the solar system. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay SUPPORTED BY YOU! Th...2025-03-0351 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 745: How We Know If Asteroids Will AttackStreamed live Feb 20, 2025. I’m sure you’ve heard the news, asteroid 2024 YR4 has a tiny chance of hitting Earth in 2032. How do astronomers discover these dangerous asteroids, measure their future impact risk and track the changes over time? When should we panic? New asteroids are found every day, and every day we learn that those asteroids don't have any murderous intentions. But how do we learn that? In this episode we dig into asteroid orbital determination. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay SUPPORTED BY YOU This...2025-02-2457 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 744: Lunar TimeStreamed live on Feb 10, 2025. What time is it? OK, fine, what time is it on the Moon? The Moon orbits the Earth, so it doesn’t fall into a specific time zone. Also, there’s lower gravity on the surface of the Moon, which changes the rate that clocks tick. Well… It’s time to introduce Lunar Time. When are you when you are on the Moon? Researchers are putting together definitions! Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay SUPPORTED BY YOU This Episode is made possi...2025-02-171h 00
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 743: What Else Can We Learn From Gravitational Waves?Streamed live on Feb 3, 2025. Just a few years ago LIGO detected the first direct evidence of gravitational waves coming from colliding black holes. And there you have it. Boom! Black holes collide! But that wasn’t all we learned from gravitational waves, nor will we learn. Sure, the masses of merging black holes are nice to know, but what else can we learn from gravitational black holes? Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay SUPPORTED BY YOU! This Episode is made possible thanks to our Patr...2025-02-101h 05
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 742: Atmospheric Gravity WavesStreamed live on Jan 27, 2025. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay Gravity Waves ... not gravitational waves ... move atmospheres and make pretty clouds. Have you ever looked up into the sky and seen bizarre cloud formations that look like waves on the ocean? These are gravity waves. Not to be confused with gravitational waves, and they’re caused by a balance of buoyancy and gravity. And of course these have been seen across the solar system. SUPPORTED BY YOU This Episode is made possible thanks to our Patrons on P...2025-02-0357 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 741: TechnosignaturesStreamed live on Jan 20, 2025. Pollution will ultimately give away a society. SUPPORTED BY YOU This Episode is made possible thanks to our Patrons on Patreon. Join at the Galaxy Group level or higher to be listed in our YouTube videos. Thanks to: Andrew Poelstra, BogieNet, Brian Cagle, David, David Truog, Ed, Gerhard, Schwarzer, Jeanette Wink, Siggi Kemmler, Stephen Veit 2025-01-2758 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 740: Sneaky Stars!Streamed live on Jan 13, 2025. Why stars can’t be trusted! If you’re an astronomer you depend on accurate observations of stars, but there’s a problem. Stars are sneaky! Changing in size, brightness, color, they hide their chemistry, their age and even their companions from all but the cleverest observers. Stars explode precisely when they intend to. Betelgeuse took a brightness plunge, T CrB refused to go nova, and other failures to be predictable irk observers for good reasons. Let's talk about it.2025-01-201h 05
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 739: Drones!Streamed live January 9, 2025. From little Ingenuity to the future Firefly and all our Earth Science fliers, let's look at the buzzy scientists. NASA’s Mars Ingenuity helicopter showed us how wonderful a flying science platform can be on another world. Soon there’ll be a helicopter flying on Titan, but there are many other flying robots that’ll be helping us with all our science needs. 2025-01-1356 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 738: Looking Ahead to 2025What can we hope (or dread) to see in 2025? Last week we talked about the 2024 strangeness. Now we’re gonna talk about the upcoming space stories for 2025 that we’re looking forward to. It’s a nice mix of new rockets, new missions and new fly-bys. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay2024-12-231h 02
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 737: Weird Science Stories From 2024Streamed live December13, 2024. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay. 2024 was a strange year! I’ll let your imagination take flight and consider how 2024 was weird for you. But, for space and astronomy we had some interesting, revolutionary, unsettling and downright weird stories pop up. Today let’s talk about them.2024-12-1657 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 736: Gift Guide 2024Streamed live on Dec 2, 2024 Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay It’s time for our Holiday Gift Guide, where we suggest ideas for presents for the space fans in your life! What books are we reading? What games are we playing and what telescopes are we admiring? SUPPORTED BY YOU !!! This Episode is made possible thanks to our Patrons on Patreon. Join at the Galaxy Group level or higher to be listed in our YouTube videos. https://www.patreon.com/AstronomyCast Thanks to: Andrew Poe...2024-12-091h 01
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 735: Albert EinsteinStreamed live on Nov 25, 2024. Last week we talked about the Einstein probe. So this week it is only natural that we talk about the man himself, Albert Einstein. He revolutionized the field of physics, played a vital role in the early 20th century and struggled to unite the forces of the Universe at the end of his career. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay SUPPORTED BY YOU! This Episode is made possible thanks to our Patrons on Patreon. Join at the Galaxy Group level or higher t...2024-12-021h 09
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 734: The Einstein MissionStreamed live on Nov 11, 2024. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay. Another day, another space telescope! Today we’re looking at the newly launched Einstein Probe. A collaboration between the Chinese Space Agency and the European Space Agency. The mission has been operating since January searching the cosmos for short, bright flashes of X-rays. SUPPORTED BY YOU This Episode is made possible thanks to our Patrons on Patreon. Join at the Galaxy Group level or higher to be listed in our YouTube videos. Thanks to: Andr...2024-11-1858 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 733: Euclid Of AlexandriaStreamed live on Nov 5, 2024. Last week we talked about the mission. This week we’ll talk about Euclid of Alexandria, the ancient Greek mathematician who inspired the mission. Let’s learn about his life and the ground breaking work that made so much of our modern mathematics possible. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay.2024-11-1144 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 732: The Euclid TelescopeLet's look at the Euclid Space Telescope. The Euclid 208-Gigapixel image! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86ZCsUfgLRQ2024-11-0459 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 731: Neil GehrelsStreamed live on Oct 21, 2024. Let's look at the man whose name is carried by the Neil Gehrels Swift Telescope. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay.2024-10-281h 00
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 730: The Neil Gehrels Swift TelescopeStreamed live October 15, 2024. Let's look over the long life of the Neil Gehrels Swift Telescope as it watches for the multi-spectral flashes of high energy explosions.2024-10-211h 03
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 729: The James Webb Space TelescopeStreamed live on Sep 30, 2024. Let's talk about that giant telescope that's changing everything. We have been waiting our entire careers to make this episode on the James Webb Space Telescope, AKA the JWST. This historic Observatory was launched just a couple of years ago and it's already overturning our understanding of the early Universe star formation and exoplanets!2024-10-071h 15
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 728: Solar Scientist Eugene ParkerStreamed live on Sep 23, 2024. Last week, we talked about the Parker Solar Probe. As always, we like to talk about the person who inspired the mission. What makes this amazing and different is that Eugene Parker was there to watch the launch of the mission that shares his name. Why is he so influential on solar astronomy?2024-09-3058 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 727: Parker Solar ProbeStreamed live on Sep 16, 2024. Let's look over the long life of the Parker Solar Probe as it explores the Sun and nearby worlds. The Sun! It’s that ongoing thermonuclear explosion that’s happening right over there! And although the Sun is necessary for life on Earth, we still have questions! So NASA has sent the Parker Solar Probe to visit the Sun up close, to get us some answers.2024-09-2358 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 726: Looking Back Over The SummerStreamed live Sep 9, 2024. We made all sorts of predictions, and some of the stuff we didn't know about last July, somehow, we still don't know about as we set up this episode on September 3! Join us for the first episode of Season 18 as we review all the crazy space science that happened during our Summer Hiatus. 2024-09-1658 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 725: Looking AheadStreamed live on Jun 24, 2024. Normally Pamela refuses to think about the future. But today, on our final episode before hiatus, she’s throwing out those rules. It’s like the PURGE! Here’s what we’re excited about for the future. Especially for the next couple of months until we return in September.2024-07-0152 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 724: Summer (Science & Sci Fi) ReadsStreamed live Jun 20, 2024. Fraser & Pamela list their favorite books! Take notes! I also have a favor to ask - I'm working on a research project with my collaborator Sanlyn Buxener on what factors help and hinder people learning and doing science. Can you please take our survey? bit.ly/AstEco THANK YOU! - Pamela2024-06-2437 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 723: Exoplanets by the NumbersStreamed live on Jun 10, 2024. Astronomers have discovered thousands of exoplanets, revealing entirely new types of worlds that we just don’t have in the solar system. It’s enough to start getting a rough sense of what kinds of planets are out there. What’s the big picture?2024-06-171h 01
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 722: Weather on ExoplanetsHere’s a familiar question: How’s the weather? We’re familiar with the weather on Earth and telescopes and missions are watching the weather on other planets in the Solar System. But for the first time in history, astronomers can now answer that question for exoplanets, located light-years away from us.2024-06-101h 02
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 721: Rogue PlanetsMost of the exoplanets we’ve found are around stars, where they belong. But a few have been found free-floating in interstellar space. The evidence is growing that there are a lot of them out there, maybe even more than planets with stars. How do they form and how can we learn more about them?2024-05-2755 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 720: Galaxy Series - Elliptical GalaxiesStreamed live on Apr 30, 2024. Our galaxy series continues with elliptical galaxies. Unlike other types, these are large, smooth with very few distinguishing features. They’re filled with red and dead stars, a clue to their evolution.2024-05-2036 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 719: Galaxy Series - Spiral GalaxiesOur galaxy series continues, on to spiral galaxies. In fact, you’re living in one right now, but telescopes show us the various shapes and sizes these galaxies come in. Thanks to JWST, we’re learning how these spirals got big, early on in the Universe.2024-05-1336 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 718: Galaxy Series - Dwarf GalaxiesStreamed live on Apr 30, 2024. It’s time to begin a new mini-series, where we’ll look at different classes of galaxies. Today, we’ll start with the dwarf galaxies, which flock around larger galaxies like the Milky Way. Are they the building blocks for modern structures?2024-05-0640 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 717: Understanding the Ages of Distant Cosmic ObjectsHow old is that star? That planet? That nebula? Figuring out the ages of astronomical objects is surprisingly challenging. Fortunately, astronomers have developed a series of techniques they can use to work out the ages of stuff.2024-04-291h 03
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 716 - The God**** Particle - Remembering Peter HiggsLast week, we learned about the death of Peter Higgs, a physicist and discoverer of the particle that bears his name. The Large Hadron Collider was built to find and describe the particle. Today, we’ll look back at the life of Peter Higgs and his particle.2024-04-2259 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 715: Total Eclipse of the Science: Experiments During the EclipseHow to watch a solar eclipse and do some science! The next great eclipse is upon us, with viewers across North America witnessing the moon passing in front of the Sun. It’s an amazing experience, but also an opportunity to do science. Let’s talk about what we can learn from this momentous event.2024-04-0854 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 714: Orbital ResonancesSeveral of the planets and moons in the Solar System are in orbital resonance, orbiting in a geometric lockstep. And not just the Solar System, astronomers have found the same resonances in other star systems.2024-04-011h 03
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 713: Solar System VolcanoesLast week was one of the most exciting meetings we’ve seen from the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, with hundreds of announcements and discoveries from various missions. One theme kept coming up, the Solar System is more volcanically active than we thought. Today, we’ll explore volcanism on other worlds.2024-03-251h 06
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 712: How Peer Review FailsYou’ve probably heard that the best kind of science is peer-reviewed research published in a prestigious journal. But peer review has problems of its own. We’ll talk about that today.2024-03-1858 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 711: NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC)NASA works on many missions using tried and true technology, but they also invest in creative ideas that could drive the future of space exploration. It’s called NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts or NIAC.2024-03-1100 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 710: NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) ProgramIn the olden days, NASA developed its missions using a variety of in-house engineers and external suppliers. As more commercial companies are targeting the Moon, NASA is working with partners to deliver its payloads to the lunar surface. Today let’s talk about NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Program.2024-03-041h 02
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 709: Space WeaponsStreamed live on Feb 19, 2024. [My apologies for Fraser’s audio dropouts. We’re not sure how it happened as it wasn’t happening at his studio. Audio is a black art, IMHO. Rich) Last week we learned that Russia might be planning nuclear weapons to take out satellites in space. What is the current and future possibility of weapons in space and what are the treaties designed to prevent them?2024-02-261h 04
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 708: What Goes Into Sample Return Missions From Asteroids & Comets?Last week we talked about sample return missions from the Moon and Mars, but scientists have retrieved samples from other objects in the Solar System, including comets and asteroids. What does it take to return a piece of rock from space, and what have we learned so far?2024-02-191h 07
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 707: What Goes Into A Sample Return Mission? Moon & MarsWe’ve sent robots to other worlds, but the amount of science we can deploy to another planet can’t compare with the vast science labs we have on Earth. That’s why more and more missions are for a sample return, bringing pieces of alien worlds back to Earth, where we study them with proper equipment.2024-02-121h 06
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 706: China’s Space ProgramWe’re so familiar with NASA’s exploration efforts in space, but you might be surprised to learn that China launches almost as many rockets as the US. They’ve got their own space exploration program that could soon bring humans to the surface of the Moon. Let’s give a brief overview of China’s space exploration plans.2024-02-051h 02
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 705: Water Worlds - Looking For Life Beyond EarthWherever we find liquid water on Earth, we find life, so it makes sense to search for water across the Universe, and hopefully we can find evidence of life. But what about worlds which are completely covered in water, oceans hundreds of kilometers deep. Can there be too much water?2024-01-221h 00
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 704: NASA's Juno Releases New ImagesNASA’s Juno spacecraft has completed dozens of flybys of Jupiter, seeing the planet from many angles and delivering some of the most beautiful images we’ve ever seen of the Jovian world. Now it’s focusing in on Io, sending home images of the tiny volcanic world from just 1,500 km away. And the best is yet to come.2024-01-1554 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 703: Solar Maximum of Doom? MaybeStreamed live on Dec 20, 2023. Solar cycle 25 is shaping up to be a doozy, with plenty of flares and coronal mass ejections blasting off the Sun. As the solar activity continues to rise, how are things shaping up?2024-01-0853 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 702: Moonshot 2024 - Go or No Go?Streamed live on Dec 11, 2023. With Artemis 1 completing its robotic flight around the Moon, we know that the SLS works. Next comes Artemis 2, with a crew of astronauts flying past the Moon. If that’s successful, we could see humans set foot on the Moon in December 2025. But there is a long list of challenges to consider that could delay things considerably. Go or no go for launch‽2023-12-1852 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 701: Space Science We Look Forward to in the Next 700 EpisodesLast week we looked back at some of the ideas that science has changed its mind about. This week we look forward, into the future, at some of the big ideas that astronomers are making progress in. What space science are we looking forward to?2023-12-1155 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 700: The Things We Got WrongAstronomers talk about all the amazing discoveries they’re making but sometimes, it turns out, they were wrong. After decades and centuries of discoveries, how have they changed their minds?2023-12-0452 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 699: Holiday Gift Giving Ideas for Astronomy and Space FansJust a warning, the holidays are rapidly approaching. It’s time, once again, to think about what to buy all the space nerds on your lists. Here’s what we like.2023-11-2756 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 698: Insights Into the UniverseHow the time flies. It’s been over a year since JWST went operational, with other missions joining the fun. What new insights have we gained about the Universe thanks to these powerful new tools?2023-11-2058 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 697: Mission Roll Call Part 6: The Outer Solar System and BeyondFinally, we reach the end of our tour through the missions in the Solar System. Out beyond Mars, to Jupiter, the Kuiper Belt and Beyond.2023-11-1345 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 696: Mission Roll Call Part 5: The Science at MarsAnother week, another review of space missions in the Solar System. Today we set our sights on the red planet. What are all the active missions at Mars today?2023-11-0658 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 695: Mission Roll Call Part 4: Lunar ExplorationOur journey through missions continues, this time we focus on the Moon. There are many nations on the Moon, near the Moon, around the Moon, traveling to the Moon. It’s a lot. We’ll talk about it today.2023-10-301h 03
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 694: Mission Roll Call Part 3: What's Beyond EarthOur journey through space missions continues. Now we move away from the Earth to the rest of the solar system. What’s out there orbiting, roving and flying on other worlds and in interplanetary space. Today we look inward and we’ll talk about the missions studying the Sun, Mercury and Venus.2023-10-2358 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEpisode 693: Mission Roll Call, Part 2: Looking Outward from EarthLast week, we brought you up to speed on the spacecraft which are helping to study Earth from above. Many of our missions are in Earth orbit but looking outward to study the Universe. Today, we’ll talk about the missions close to home, helping us understand our place in the cosmos.2023-10-1652 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 692: Mission Roll Call Part 1: Earth OrbitIt’s time for another series! This time we’re gonna look at the missions that’re currently in place across the solar system. Today we’ll start with the key missions here on Earth, studying the planet from above and looking out into the Universe. 2023-10-0957 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 691: Jupiter’s Changing Red SpotJupiter’s Great Red Spot is one of its most iconic features. First seen hundreds of years ago. Although it’s certainly long lasting, it’s been changing in size over the last few decades. Shrinking, changing in color. Is it fading away? And what can the changes tell us about storms on giant planets?2023-10-0252 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 690: Climate on Mars - From Ice Caps to Dust StormsStreamed live on Sep 18, 2023. We’ve looked at Earth’s changing climate, now let’s see what it’s like for another world: Mars. Much looks familiar, but some of it is totally alien, from ice caps of frozen carbon dioxide to planetary dust storms that can obscure the entire world from view. This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Stephen Veit Jordan Young Jeanette Wink Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog BogieNet Gerhard Schwarzer...2023-09-251h 04
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 689 - Our Warming World: 20 Years of Climate ScienceStreamed live on Sep 11, 2023. It’s official! June and July were the warmest we’ve seen since records began over a century ago. Fires are rampant across Canada, and we’re seeing record droughts around the world. Today we’re going to look at 20 years of climate science, how well does reality match up with the predictions. This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Stephen Veit Jordan Young Jeanette Wink Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog BogieNet2023-09-181h 00
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedHiatus MessageHiatus Message Once again, we’ve reached the end of a season here on Astronomy Cast, and it’s time for the summer hiatus. See you in September!2023-07-1004 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 688: What’s Next? Looking Ahead to Season 17Streamed live on Jun 26, 2023. Once again, we’ve reached the end of a season here on Astronomy Cast, and it’s time for the summer hiatus. But the Universe never takes a break. What can we expect to happen over the summer while we’re catching up on our reading, building our gardens and planning for Season 17?2023-07-031h 01
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 687: Prepping for the MoonWe’re going back to the Moon. In the next few years humans will set foot on the Moon again, ideally this time to stay. But this will be different than the Apollo era, going to the scientifically fascinating, and difficult southern pole of the Moon. What needs to be done to prepare the way back to the Moon?2023-06-271h 01
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 686: Ice In The ShadowsThe permanently shadowed craters on the Moon are the focus of so much research. That’s because they seem to contain vast reserves of water ice. Water we could use for oxygen, propellant and so much more, but also, to help us understand where the Earth’s water came from.2023-06-1938 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 685: Manufacturing In SpaceLaunching satellites from Earth is counter-productive. You’ve got to make a satellite that can handle Earth gravity, then the brutal flight to space, then deployment in orbit. What if you could build your spacecraft in space?2023-06-1257 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 684: Too Big, Too Soon: Massive Early Galaxies Defy ExpectationsOne of JWST’s top jobs is to peer deeper into the Universe than ever before, watching as the first galaxies came together. Surprisingly, astronomers found galaxies that seemed much more mature than expected, much earlier than it was believed possible. What’s going on and what does it mean for cosmology?2023-06-0556 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 683: Cosmic DawnAfter the cosmic microwave background radiation was released, the Universe returned to darkness, cloaked in this clouds of primordial hydrogen and helium. Gravity pulled these vast clouds into the first stars, and then the first galaxies. This is Cosmic Dawn, and JWST will help us probe this mysterious time in the Universe.2023-05-291h 02
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 682: Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies & Dark MatterAstronomers first noticed the strange behaviors of rotating galaxies almost 100 years ago, suggesting there’s an invisible dark matter hold them together with gravity. Or maybe we just don’t understand how gravity works at the largest scales. Observations are much better now, and astronomers have found examples of galaxies that are almost entirely made of dark matter. Does this tell us anything?2023-05-221h 03
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 681: KilonovaeIn 2017, astronomers detected the gravitational waves and electromagnetic radiation from colliding neutron stars. This had been long theorized as one of the causes of a certain type of gamma-ray burst. By studying the event and its afterglow, astronomers have learned a tremendous amount about the formation of the heaviest elements in the Universe.2023-05-1537 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 680: Rogue Black HolesLast week we talked about rogue stars. This week we’re going to take things up a notch and talk about an even more extreme event. Rogue black holes. Astronomers recently discovered a supermassive black hole on an escape trajectory, leaving newly forming stars in its wake. It’s wonderful, terrible, nightmare fuel.2023-05-0858 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 679: High(per) Velocity StarsMost stars in the Milky Way are trapped in here with us, doomed to orbit around and around and around. But a few have found a way out, an escape into the freedom of intergalactic space. How do stars reach escape velocity, never to return?2023-05-011h 02
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 678: World Building: Planet Formation, Growth & EjectionOkay sci-fi writers, today we’re going to give you a guided tour of building planets. How they form, how they grow, and how things can go horribly horribly wrong. [Editor’s Note: Google HL Tau, click on the Wikipedia link and see planets forming!]2023-04-241h 00
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 677: The Answer is Always DustWhenever astronomers discover something surprising, the answer often turns out to be dust. Dust obscuring our view, dust changing the polarity, dust warming things up, dust cooling things down. It’s always dust. Until it isn’t.2023-04-171h 03
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 676: Other Things With RingsWe’ve spent a lot of time gushing about Saturn’s rings, but there are other places with ring systems. And not just Jupiter and the ice giants, but asteroids, dwarf planets, centaurs and even exoplanets. Today let’s gush about them!2023-04-101h 02
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 650: Did JWST Work?Well, this is it. We’re FINALLY going to talk about the James Webb Space Telescope. After decades of development, delays, budget creep, the powerful infrared observatory is at its final home at the L2 Lagrange point. Yesterday (at the time we’re recording this) we saw the first scientific images from the telescope and according to Pamela’s rules, we’re finally allowed to talk about it.2022-07-1840 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 630: Things We Can Look Forward ToIn a rare moment of weakness, Pamela has decided she's open to the possibility that a future exists. That missions, telescopes and spacecraft are going to be built and they're going to do science. Today we'll talk about what we're looking forward to before she changes her mind and my naive optimism for the future.2022-02-1457 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 608: NASA Perseverance, The First 100 DaysAs you all know, Pamela refuses to talk about any missions which aren't actually doing science. Well, Perseverance has crossed the line, from fantasy to an actual working rover, scooping regolith and yeeting helicopters. What has the rover accomplished in its first 100 days?2021-06-071h 00
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 599: Zodiacal LightPamela has told us in the most flowery terms about the diffuse dust across the inner solar system left over from the formation of the inner planets. well, it turns out she was wrong. Super wrong. Time to update!2021-03-221h 00
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 594: Juno - Primary Mission HighlightsPamela is always loath to talk about spacecraft until the mission's in space and the science is rolling. NASA's Juno Mission just received a mission extension, adding Jupiter's moons to the menu. Now, finally, we can talk about Juno! [Ed. Juno what I mean?]2021-02-081h 00
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 575: Observing The MoonAs amateur astronomers, we curse the Moon every month. Seriously! Why doesn't someone get rid of that thing! This week, something occurred to us. What if we actually pointed our telescopes at the Moon? What would we see? The Lunar "X" that Fraser talked about will be visible this Friday, June 26th! So go out with binoculars or a telescope and enjoy!2020-06-221h 00
365 Days of Astronomy - Weekly EditionAstronomy Cast Ep. 572: Twists in Planet FormationAstronomy Cast Ep. 572: Twists in Planet Formation by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay We're all looking to the next generation of exoplanetary research where we get planets directly. But astronomers are already making great strides in directly observing newly forming planets help us understand how our solar system might have formed.2020-06-0156 minAstronomy Cast Full Raw FeedAstronomy Cast Ep. 572: Twists in Planet FormationAstronomy Cast Ep. 572: Twists in Planet Formation by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay We're all looking to the next generation of exoplanetary research where we get planets directly. But astronomers are already making great strides in directly observing newly forming planets help us understand how our solar system might have formed.2020-06-0156 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 562: Dealing with COVID-19 and the Changes it will Bring2020-03-231h 00
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedAstronomy Cast on Hiatus until Sept 2019Astronomy Cast will be on hiatus for July and August. Don't worry, we'll be back in September, and we might just have surprises for you all along this summer! Don't forget you can still catch Pamela with Daily Space, rocket launches and specials on CosmoQuest's Twitch channel, and you can find all the space news and videos from Fraser at Universe Today! We usually record Astronomy Cast every Friday at 3:00 pm EDT / 12:00 pm PDT / 19:00 UTC. You can watch us live on here on AstronomyCast.com, or the AstronomyCast YouTube page.2019-07-0102 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 528: Modern Astronomy of the American Southwest Last week we talked about the ancient astronomy of the American Southwest. But this is actually Pamela's stomping grounds, and she's spent many a night perched atop mountains in this region staring in the night sky with gigantic telescopes. How does astronomy get done in this region today?2019-04-2943 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 527: Ancient Astronomy of the American Southwest Ancient peoples had no light pollution, and they knew the night skies very well. In fact, they depends on them to know when to plant and when to harvest. Today Pamela talks about the archeoastronomical sites of the American Southwest.2019-04-221h 01
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedBonus Episode: Dust with Dr. Paul SutterRecorded during the Astrotour to Costa Rica, Fraser talks to Dr. Paul Matt Sutter about the nature of dust and BICEP 2's claim of discovering primordial gravitational waves.2019-03-1721 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp. 499: What is the proposed Hubble-Lemaitre Law?We started out Astronomy Cast with the controversal decision to de-planet Pluto. And here we are, more than a decade later, at the brink of recording our 500th episode when another big decision is coming down from the IAU: whose name goes on the concept that our Universe is expanding: Hubble or Lemaître? It’s a big deal and Pamela knows all about it.2018-09-101h 01
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedEp 486: Particle Physics UpdateIt's time for a news update. This time from the field of particle physics. It turns out there have been all kinds of new and interesting particles discovered by the Large Hadron Collider and others. Let's get an update from Pamela.2018-04-0959 min
Astronomy Cast Full Raw FeedAstronomy Cast Special: Q & A with Dr. Pamela GayPamela will be on to answer your space and astronomy questions live, as Fraser enjoys auroras in Iceland this week!2018-03-0558 min